Armored Core: Resistance
by nightshade8611
Summary: What begins as a test run for a proto-type Core turns out to be much more. Will it be enough to fuel a resistance, or will it only cause the Corporation to make things harder for the territories? Armored Core V Mecha Builds. OC. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Sitting atop the fence that drew the property line for the military testing facility, Ian gazed upwards towards the sky. Clouds spanned to the horizon with thunder echoing in the distance. A situation that he figured would not deter the testing of the prototype suit that had been in the works for over half a decade. Armored Core suits weren't new to the world, but not every territory had the resources or knowledge of how to create a suit of it's caliber.

Now that his home finally had it's first of what was believed to become a defense force most of the teenagers his age had all come out to the facility to witness the suit in it's first test run. Most were laughing at the expense of what could happen to the pilot in every possible situation that could go wrong. Thankfully he wasn't one of them. Most of them always had something to say about him. Unlike the lot of them he wasn't from the territory so he was naturally an outsider, and was deemed good for nothing from the start. As it was the only reason he was even close enough to them was because of the fact where they were was really the only safe position during testing.

"You could always come join us." the voice he heard was so soft he'd of recognized it any where.

Picking his thoughts from the air Ian looked down towards the source of the voice. "I don't think the rest of the crowd would enjoy my company." Ian spoke. The young female knew what he had spoken was the truth. For ten years he had put up with the harassment from the others quietly and without making a big deal about it. Noticing him nod with his eyes looking else where she turned to see the 'leader' motioning for her to come back.

"They might just think of you as joke, but I know better. You've got more heart than any of them."

Ian wasn't sure of what to think about anything she had said. Ever since he'd come to live there she had been one of the only ones to show him any decency. Something he was eternally grateful for. "Thanks Christa..." His words fell on deaf ears. The small crowd of his peers had only gotten louder over the course of just a few seconds.

His thought's turned from the crowd as the roar of an engine echoed in his ears. Exhaust smoke exited through the tail pipes of a truck pulling from the workshop's bay door. Ian grinned curious to what the others would think of the suit. This was not the first he would see of it. Perks of his parents being the reason it had been built. With the exception of the truck there was only silence. Being on something of a schedule there had been a rush to find a vehicle with enough power to pull a trailer; given the fact the truck specifically designed to haul the trailer and suit had suffered from a blown engine.

Sounds of shock and awe could be heard all around the fence. Shockingly enough even the biggest smart ass of the group had nothing to say about the five meter tall suit. A feat in itself that Ian was thankful to experience.

The suit's design was far from basic. Many of the armed personal had seen full sized Armored Cores like the one atop the trailer; and even still they like the teenagers had taken to silence. As with the high majority of bipedal styled Cores a Ready-Shield had been installed along the left leg. An addition that baffled Ian to no end. If it was not equipped with heavy weaponry that would force the suit to take the position why bother.

"That's it? How is that a suit? It has no armor."

There it was; Ian thought doing his best to ignore the dumb ass. Education wasn't something enforced or common in the territories extending further out from the Corporation's control. This had become apparent to him after only lived here for a few months. Having been born within the Corporation's borders of Corethena, moving to Yorlon had been a major change. Fortunately, it only seemed to be the one moron tainted by the so called contamination within the air. "It wasn't designed to be defensive. Primarily it was designed to be a reconnaissance. Mobile enough to get in and out with enough armor to take some damage. From the weapons I'd have to say close range fighting was it's primary combat."

His eyes had never moved from the Armored Core a single second. Christa was the only one among their peers that didn't seem speechless, or annoyed about his breakdown of the suit's functionality. "The chances of that being right is about as close to the chances you have of ever kissing Christa." Again, his attention never turned. Christa on the other hand felt heated.

"You would be surprised to know just how much I know. In the right hand it holds a standard kinetic rifle. Low energy consumption, medium weight. The other weapon is an overall basic form to the corporation's Moonlight laser blade. Most likely not as strong, but knowing my parents like I do some of that power was directed into lowering its weight and overall energy usage." No one muttered a single word. The ironic expression that it must have been something he said entered Ian's mind causing him to chuckle a bit.

"Parents?" This time it was the self-appointed leader that had elected to speak. "They helped build that thing?" His response came in the form of a nod as Ian felt little urge to trade words with the worst of them.

Ignoring their words was easy enough. Blocking out the pain from the bruises he suffered due to being attacked was another. Ever since that night not a word had left his lips directed towards the stereotypical jock. In fact this was the first time in over a year the bastard had said much of anything to him.

Before another word could be spoken a sound unfamiliar to the majority rung through the air forcing few to cover their ears to protect from the intense sound of gears grinding against one another for the first time. "Perfect timing." Ian's grin turned full on smile as he tightened the grip on the fence. Happy as he was to see his parents creation begin taking it's first steps something else entered his mind. What was soon to be a problem. Though the Core was still about a thousand yards from where the group of them stood when it ignited the boosters the force generated would be enough to send any debris in their direction; or worse even push against them with enough force. "Everyone get down!"

His random out burst had barely gotten the attention of his peers over the loud hum of the suit that stood before them. Christa was the first to react as she noticed Ian duck behind the fence. Grabbing hold of who ever she could reach she mimicked Ian's reaction. Unsure to what was happening, no one took the chance of questioning any of her reaction. Christa covered her ears on instinct as she glanced towards Ian to see him holding his hands in front of him; his mouth moving as he bent a finger each time. That's when she realized he was counting down, but to what?

Watching his hand become a fist Christa tightened her muscles; holding her hands over her ears she prepared for the worst. Time felt frozen in place. Over a minute had to have passed from the time she'd seen Ian make his hand into a fist. Loosening the pressure against her ears Christa soon found herself regretting her sense of timing when the force created by the sudden boom pushed against the fence with such rage. The noise alone was enough to dig what little nails she had into her head wishing that the terror would just end.

"Boosters work." Ian shouted.

Christa opened her eyes to once more see the young man standing. Surprising enough the young man actually seemed to be laughing. Truthfully she didn't see what was so funny about the situation. Looking between the others she had accompanied to this affair apparently neither did they. "How can you laugh about something as terrifying as that?" Tre yelled. "We could have died, so how about a little more warning next time!"

Time for silence was over. "I can laugh after something like that cause I'm not dead." Ian stood his ground even as Tre stormed in his direction.

"What if you didn't call anything out? It would have been your fault if any of us had been hurt!" Tre yelled again. Everyone around town knew he took care of his own; this time was be no different. Only the reaction he received was not the one he had expected. In fact it was an outcome he hadn't ever thought about. Christa was now standing between the two men keeping either from doing anything, though it was more keeping Tre from coming closer. Ian on the other hand was standing as still as ever his eyes locked on the suit.

"How dare you say it would be his fault? It was your dumb idea to come here." Christa's hand landed against the side of Tre's face before he was able to speak. "If he hadn't..."

"Shut up..." Ian, beginning to speak realized how much of a jerk he made of himself as she was defending him, "Something's wrong." Again everyone was intently watching the suit that stood only a few hundred yards away.

A loud pop could be heard as the whirring of machinery came to life. With the back of the suit facing them it was unclear to the actions the suit was about to commence. That was until Tre spotted some one drop to the asphalt before breaking into an all out run in their direction. "What the hell?" Tre asked. Each and every one of them surprised by the actions.

Ian was caught off guard the most. The pilot had been one that had followed his parents from Corthena wanting to escape the life of Corporation work. Standing in silence Ian had not felt the video phone in his pocket vibrate as he fought back every bad feeling he had ever felt. Coming to his senses the young man felt for his pocket, "Dad..."

"I guess the suit was to much for him." Tre found himself laughing. No doubt the suit was a marvel to the eyes of ones that had rarely ever seen a full sized Armored Core. Now with an unmanned one was before them only one thing crossed his mind. "Oh well. If he can't handle it let me give it a shot." Tre spoke boastfully as he leaned against the fence. Roars from his friends reached his ears. Each one a dare to leap the only barrier between him and the Core. Without a second more to think Tre was beaten to the punch. Ian had already hurdled over the fence running full speed.

After the events that had already transpired for the day Tre had been certain he'd seen everything. Even now he was proven wrong. Ian had covered half the distance in less than a few seconds. "He sure is full of himself. Just because his parents supposedly built the damn thing doesn't mean the asshole can maneuver it." Twice already today he had been shown up by the outsider. A third time was unlikely.

Although he had already covered over four hundred yards Ian was beginning to feel himself running low on energy. Worst than that his lungs burned like hell. i"Before I even get there I'm going to be done for. Besides that I don't even know if I can pilot the damn thing. Oh well...here's to trying."/i Approaching the legs of the core Ian could feel his legs want to give way from beneath him. Glancing over his shoulder he took notice that thankfully no one had followed him, and the look on Tre's face had seemed to make the pain in his lungs all that much more bearable.

"Lets see how the baby works."

**"Attention Citizens of Yorlon, this is the UCT. Please remain where you are. Reports have spread to Corthena and her neighboring cities that the Armored Core you possess was built as a means to instigate a revolution. We understand that the number of armored forces before you may send confused meanings. Fear not. We seek a resolution that does not lead to the blood shed of innocents. As such we ask that you surrender the Armored Core unit with out delay. If there is no intention to turn over the Armored Core we will be force to take action; resulting in the occupation of your territory until the core is dismantled and all remains are disposed of. Again, we of the UCT do not wish for this to come to violence.**"

* * *

The communication radio struggled with static when the voice attempting to break through filled the cockpit of the Armored Core known through out Corthena as Sagittarius. "Calm your nerves. You've got the statistics monitor going off in every area." The serious tone he knew could belong to only one person. A person that he was only to happy to have accompany him on his first non-simulation mission.

Ten years had passed since his recruitment into the United Corporation of Territories Armored Core unit. Serge wouldn't quite call it recruited so much as inspired by other means. Regardless of how it came to be he had become happy with his employment. Within the first few years he had proven to be quite a soldier with many accomplishments. One of those being to have successfully pilot a prototype unit with little to no training in it's difference's when compared to the mass produced versions. Even with progression such as his in their ranks the Corporation deemed him to be ill prepared to be introduced to real combat.

In fact the true reason he was even present on the current mission was everything they had been informed of was mere hear say. No real combat was expected to take place; yet even now he struggled to keep his breath steady and heart beat under control. His mentor had basically begged the High-Commander of their unit to allow him to participate. How pitiful he must look to the others of his brigade, and worse to his commanding officers.

_"ETA fifteen minutes."_

Letting out a sigh Serge felt a small bit of the anticipation for what was soon to come fade from his mind. Thirteen hundred miles from any major Corporation city; half of that to even the closest controlled territory. Besides that if the citizen's of Yorlon even had the materials to build a functional suit it was unlikely any one had the knowledge of how to assemble it. At most he began to figure if there was one being built it was most likely to be a construction unit reconfigured to be for defense purposes.

"Why the hell are we even out here to begin with?"

This time instead of his mentor's voice coming through his speakers it was another pilot who had originally been given the mission to preform reconnaissance, then to subdue the enemy Core at all cost. Destruction of the suit was only in a worst case scenario. "Bum-fucked no where is hardly going to present a threat to us or even our employer." Following her comment she instantly began laughing as if something she had said had been funny.

"Maybe so Serena. Regardless of our personal ideas or feelings towards the mission it is still that. A mission that is to be carried out to its fullest." Another masculine voice was now transmitting. With all the voices bombarding his thoughts Serge felt himself reaching for the off switch. Nervous as it was from anticipation alone, the last he needed was to fail his first mission. Especially with a high ranking officer present. A liaison sent to over view the briefing, and follow through of mission orders. Air-Commander Lucas Raven.

Running combat mode diagnostics, Serge thought back over the stories he had heard about the Air-Commander. Most were never good, but the missions he over saw; ninety-eight percent of the time ended with success.

"How you holding up?" Again Serena hailed his intercom with the exception this time it was on a private frequency. All in all Serge had only two words that described the girl in detail; Total bitch. Surprising enough though she was really the only one in his direct unit that he could even relate to on any level. Like himself she had become a part of UCT around the same time as himself. That alone tied them together. Each of them in away depended on the other to thrive. A fact their superiors have never overlooked and have put to the test many times over. Every single time the two would end up coming to blows physically, verbally, and even from the cockpits of their Armored Cores.

Although amusing, their superiors soon learned to keep forcing them to that point was going to get costly. Now here they were on their first mission together. Serge ended up laughing at the thought of the High-Commander's expression once he realized what he had done by sending them out together. "From the sounds of it you're doing better than alright."

Managing to gain some degree of control over his laughter, "Doing better now," a small hint of laughter still noticeable in his voice. "Serena, can I ask you a question?"

Dragging her hand through her shoulder length blonde hair she could tell from the change in his tone something a bit more serious had come to mind. "You have to ask?" Nearing a decade of friendship and he was still proper with her in every way. Time and again she would remind him that they were both soldiers, and the same rank no less.

_"ETA Five Minutes"_

"I know this isn't your first mission. How come you never told me about you having been put in the field?" Serge asked.

Serena bowed her head feeling guilty and ashamed all at once. A year ago she had been ordered to escort a Corthenan Official to the upcoming territory Vergon. Simple enough as missions went. Sitting in a helicopter was easy work. The boredom she endured was not worth the money she was being paid as she had soon realized she was cheated. "I don't want to lie to you babe. I didn't tell you cause I knew you would get pissed that you were overlooked again. You were putting so much work into being noticed." Her voice had lowered by the time she finished speaking.

Silence befall both cockpits. Serena was in fear to continue talking not wishing to take her chances in upsetting her friend. Serge on the other hand did nothing but smile. "Don't stress over it. Was just an escort mission, I'd of fallen asleep anyways. My talents are so much better off else where." Laughter once more filled the radio waves between the two pilots.

"Time to get serious pilots. Let's go over the mission objectives again. We can afford no mistakes here."

We are here under the anonymous tip that the Yorlon Territory has succeeded in assembling a full sized Armored Core unit. Normally a new unit as such is not of high priority for investigation. What concerns our officials is the purpose this particular unit was fashioned for. To spark a revolution against the United Corporations. If in fact this suit exist priority objective is to seek surrender of this Core to our control without violence."

Stretching and yawning Serge could actually feel himself falling asleep. He understand that they were all under a lot of stress with the Air-Commander being present so failure was no option. Then again, when was it?

"If the Core is not obtained in the preferred manner we are to to subdue the suit and pilot with as little harm to either as possible. T-minus two minutes and counting."

* * *

**"Attention Citizens of Yorlon, this is the UCT. Please remain where you are. Reports have spread to Corthena and her neighboring cities that the Armored Core you possess was built as a means to instigate a revolution. We understand that the number of armored forces before you may send confused meanings. Fear not. We seek a resolution that does not lead to the blood shed of innocents. As such we ask that you surrender the Armored Core unit with out delay. If there is no intention to turn over the Armored Core we will be force to take action; resulting in the occupation of your territory until the core is dismantled and all remains are disposed of. Again, we of the UCT do not wish for this to come to violence."**

"What the hell..." Ian asked. As the mechanical suit whirred to life the first system to activate was the camera functions. Unfortunately the first sight he witnessed from inside the cockpit was a swarm of Corporation air forces. "Why would they think that a suit created way out here would be..." His thought was finished mid sentence as his thoughts flashed back to the pilot that had been running their way just prior to the arrival. "Son of a bitch!" Frantically his eyes started to rapidly twitch looking for some indication of which of the many buttons controlled the radio transmissions.

Static stirred through the transmitters, shocking him sense he hadn't pressed anything. "Ian..." the voice was even more attention grabbing. i"take...Core...get aw..ay..."/i The voice was that of his father no doubt in his mind about that. Nothing about these events were making sense. With the radio being unclear he could make nothing his father was saying out.

Reaching over head at the few flashing lights, Ian wasn't sure what he was pushing all he knew was he had to do something about the radio transmitter so he get answers. "Dad, repeat. Transmission unclear."

_"...Core...away. Do...not...come look..in...for...u..."_

Ian was not getting worried as the transmissions were getting to be more filled with static than words. He was sure at that moment the UCT had applied a signal scrambler. "Damn it!" Slamming his fist against the side control panels what sounded as an audio log began to play.

"Ian, we know some how or another you worked your way into the cockpit of the Armored Core Forever." The young man was taken by surprise at the sound of his mothers voice playing through the speakers. How could they have known he going to ever get inside? "This log was to only play at the confirmation of your vocal recognition. Your probably sitting there confused as to how we know you would be in that seat right now; all I can say is that we are your parents and know are son. Don't worry about the details, but right now we haven't much time."

Ian was indeed confused; now even more so. His parents were smart no doubt, but psychic was out of the picture. No way in hell they could of seen any of this coming. "Though our technology here is limited we were able to make a few prototype designs into your suit. Armored Core Forever, was from the beginning always intended to be yours. It knows you, and you know it. Trust your instincts and Forever will trust you." Now he had to admit confused was not the right word to describe his state of mind. He had never been trained to pilot a full sized core.

"You must take the Armored Core and get away from here. Do not come looking for us, do not come after us. When the time is right we will meet again..." Unsure of what he had been listening to Ian's trail of thought was once more interrupted by the disorienting sound of an explosion yards from his position. No words, no thoughts, only emptiness filled the young mans mind at the sight being shown on the video display.

Aside from the mushroom cloud of smoke that was forming over what had been turned into the control room for the Armored Core's test, a lighter much smaller trail of smoke could be made out leading back to it's firing location. Surprise, and even horror filled most of the thoughts of all present. At least one hundred lives had just been cut short with a single missile.

From where the group of teenagers had been standing, Christa had fallen to her knees in grief and sadness over what her friend had to be feeling. Hands over her mouth she too was speechless at the horrific act they had all just bared witness to. Only a minute since the order to surrender the Core had passed; still they were attacked. "Ian...I'm...sorry..." She was not the only one unable to find the words to describe the current events. Tre, as much of an asshole he was seen as found it hard to believe. So many lives taken in an instant. For the teens time crept by almost like they were watching life pass them by in slow motion all the while nearly a dozen Corporation Cores moved in surrounding Ian.

Once more static filled the radio belonging to the newly designed core, "Pilot, you've been given a direct order. Exit the core, and you shall not be deemed an enemy of the UCT; nor will we be forced to arrest..."

"Retract that ultimatum soldier."p

Stuttering at the sound of the Air-Commander's direct contact the soldier was hardly able to generate his own words. "Yes Air-Commander. What are new directives, sir?" There was no sound following his transmission. "Orders sir?"p

"Kill everyone. Destroy that core." the voice was cold and void of all emotion. "These are my orders. Carry them out or be dismissed from your duties."

Although it could not be seen from in the cockpit of the Armored Core Forever a look of extreme calm expressed itself. This was not rage, nor was it the look of one deeming vengence. No emotion he could think of explained what he felt in the current situation. All he knew, was he had to live. His parents had designed the suit for a purpose, yet more so it was designed with him in mind so now he needed to find out it's true purpose for creation. Placing his hands against the controls Ian allowed the calm of his face fade for only a moment. His slight smirk turned to a grin. "This is the AC-00, Codename: Forever. If you want him, come and get him you bastards!"

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2: Battle-Forged

**Armored Core**  
**Battle-Forged**

Serge screamed from his cockpit not having realized his fist had slammed down onto the control console of his core. "What the hell are you doing Raven!?" Timed perfectly the video feed opened in a small window showing the scarred face of the so called Air-Commander with a look that only fueled his rage more.

Raven's expressionless gaze did well to show the many years of experience that had granted him his title; though at the moment it was enough to show his disregard for following ordered to the letter. "The Corporation requested the surrender of that suit for the sole purpose of destruction. Personally, surrender is never an option. With an option like that available these outlanders will continue to resist. I am just offering a pre-emptive counter measure to those thoughts."

A small laugh escaped through his military bearing at the disgusted look his subordinate now carried showing his distaste for the veteran. "How is the corporation to know what really transpired here? Not a single soldier here would speak against me-"

His words interrupted, "I sure as hell would."

Raven's attention now fully directed at the camera feed shook his head. "Speak as you might, your word carries no weight even with your comrades. They think you a prodigy, but as I hear it your never let from your cage. You are nothing more than a pet."

Whether his words were true or not Serge rightfully didn't give a shit. No doubt he was kept from the world for some reason or another that he cared for even less. Sitting by as an entire army followed orders to murder individuals unrelated to the mission. _"Self Release- Unresponsive."_ A dark chuckle echoed through his radio at his futile attempts to release from the flight restraints.

"Priceless my boy. I expected some kind of outrageous act from you so I personally gave the order to disable your auto release." With a final grin the hardened soldier muted the young man as to not fill the air with the angry exchange of words. "This will all be over shortly." Thoughts of being deemed as the commander who put a stop to the 'resistance' before it was able to spread to neighboring territories filled his mind. With that kind of accomplishment attached to his resume nothing would stand between him and a major position as a part of the UCT. For the moment things were moving nicely.

* * *

_"System diagnostics complete. Primary boosters disabled, all other systems operational."_

"Son of a bitch." Serge sighed. Without primary boosters even had he been able to release himself from the drop ship his support boosters wouldn't give enough propulsion to even soften the fall. "Secondaries might not be enough...that's it." Another camera feed flashed to life on across the HUD of his cockpit has he wasted no time ripping the maintenance panel away. "Raven's disabled my auto release and boosters so I need your help to break the restraints."

"What about the fall?" Serena asked as she watched the young man work furiously with the wires he had pulled from the diagnostic panel.

Shrugging his shoulders was his trade mark now was no different. "Everyone might see me as an asshole, but even I wouldn't go as far to kill everyone for one suit. So can I count on you?" As cliched as it might have been the more she stared into his mist like gray eyes she couldn't help her self, but feel like he was going to do whatever with or without her.

"Finish whatever your doing and get back to me. I have to keep up appearances and track the enemy Core." Serena spoke her voice hinting a bit of intrigue. Last she had counted the pilot had already downed six UCT units and was aiming for a seventh. Not an easy feat from what she had been lead to believe about the core being built this far from a city territory. Being equipped with only a single rifle and what appeared to be a laser blade style weapon made the feat seem even less likely.

Serge glanced at the video feed noticing that his partners eyes were glazed over. A side effect of her enjoying what ever it was that caught her attention. "You done daydreaming?" Simple as it was he grabbed her attention with only a single question. Knowing that what ever it was he had planned was going to take timing he had no other options available. "By the way...don't miss." Serena flashed a smile over the feed before closing the communication.

Wrapping his fingers one at a time around the controls Serge closed his eyes. One. _"Show no fear."_ Two. _"Count on your team, as much as you count on yourself."_ Three. _"When your mission orders suck. Fuck 'em"_ Two sudden jolts vibrated through the metallic frame of the Armored Core Hyperion as it began to free fall from it's restraints.

"Now Serena!"

With in seconds of giving his mark Serge braced himself for impact. Metal against metal. The screeching was almost unbearable, yet it was the impact force that had been the most punishing as Serena slammed her own core at full speed into the Hyperion breaking it from it's speedy free fall of demise. "Breaking!"

Not even an instant passed from the impact to the breakaway the initial goal being completed. Eyes wide open Serge watched as he neared the base grounds waiting for what felt like eternity until both his arms pushed forward igniting every secondary booster equipped to the Hyperion. The propulsion might not have been enough to counter act a full fall from his suspended height, but with the momentum being broken by the hit he had sustained from Serena as well as the quick wire job of directing power from the offline primaries the propulsion was more than enough to be used as a brake.

Concrete broke from its bedding from the force of impact creating a dust cloud that made Hyperion nearly invisible to everything but a radar. In terms of Core design Hyperion was not of the basic design. When compared to non-standard cores the suit was very built with different focus in mind. Where most stood approximately five meters tall, Hyperion towered over them between seven to eight meters. Medium weight bipedal legs made up for a major portion of it's height, yet it was it's specially designed core that set it apart from the rest. Two dozen hexagons formed wide spread V off the back, the usual black panels currently appeared molten red from the intense heat they had undergone all firing simultaneously.

Yellow lights flashed throughout the core, _"Secondary boosters overheated; resolution, disabled to prevent further damage."_

Serge cursed through his grin. His plan may have worked to get him grounded, but as it would seem he had not thought of everything. Correcting his stance, the yellow lights faded allowing for a clear view of the battlefield. For now the battlefield seemed clear enough from non-core units easing his thoughts of others being injured in the process. From where he stood he could only see the explosions from where he had last seen the Yorlon Core. "It definitely seems like who ever is piloting that things knows a thing or two about how to pilot. Only one problem, what the hell was I thinking?"

Now that he was on the ground the thought finally struck him. He knew his goal was to prevent Raven from wasting the entire population of the area for a single unit. "Serena? How's that suit fairing?"

Echoes of the explosions coursed through the radio transmission, "Umm..yeah. It's surviving. I can't say for how much longer. I'd say by now that rifle that it's equipped with has to be about dry on ammo." Another small explosion roared through the skies, "Yup, it's out. Another five minutes is all he's got." That was all Serge needed to hear as Hyperion moved in a sprint like fashion, or at least what a core of it's size could manage. "Even if you make it in time; what do you really think your going to get done?"

"Raven's true goal is destroy all hope of resistance," Serge said confidently as he did what he could to aid in his own core's movement.

"Yeah, so-" Serge's train of thought caught up with her as she realized what her friend was aiming for. "You know this means you'll be court marshaled for disobeying direct orders, again." Serena smiled as if she found the thought funny."

Serge himself laughed at the thought, "Most likely."

* * *

Over a dozen monitors flickered to life across the bridge of the Air-Commander's flag ship. Each was a different feed from his soldiers on the ground. Most were camera feeds from the foot soldiers, yet only one of the feeds posed any interest to the battle worn soldier. All sound and video had been cut so only white noise remained. What the man found intriguing was the fact it belonged to one of the core based units that had touched ground first. Now it laid inoperable, the pilot's status unknown. "Could someone explain to me what the hell is taking so long?" Silence continued to fill the bridge as every one knew the cost of answering the question even though the man had asked.

"Don't you think this is a bit much to apprehend a single core?" Having broken the silence foot steps could be heard against the crated floor.

Raven frowned though his reaction had gone unnoticed. He knew whom the voice belonged to, and it was someone he cared not to hold conversation with. "You more than anyone should know that when it comes to achieving victory for the Corporation nothing is ever 'to much'." The emphasis on the end of his sentence had been heard, but fell on deaf ears. "Then again, you've always been soft Spence; so I would not expect you to understand."

A simple shrug of his shoulders was the older man's response to the insult. "and yet I still managed to complete every mission. Each with little to no casualties; all the while following orders. I suppose that makes me the better of us if we go by your standards, brother." A slight smile formed at the look of irritation Raven was now filled with. Nothing gave him the feeling of victory as watching his brother squirm from underneath his own words.

Maintaining his military bearing he stood tall, hands clasped together in the small of his back, "For what reason do you honor us with your presence?" Raven asked knowing full well that no matter how far his brother out ranked him they were on his ship. As if it mattered given the circumstances that the only reason the former Air-Admiral was present on the mission was only to keep his two students in check.

Another shoulder shrug, his eyes glancing from screen to screen at the apparent non-aggressive mission took place. One screen showed over three dozen civilians being lead by gun point an area out of harms way. Another showing a feed of a gun fight between the poorly trained Yorlon militia and the Corporation foot soldiers. "One question little brother. Why do you feel that you must force a territory the size of Yorlon into submission?"

With the question being asked the entirety of the bridge eagerly waited an answer all the while continuing to look busy monitoring the incursion taking place on the ground. Raven's usual expressionless face now showed the irritation he always felt when in the presence of his older brother. "If you feel that you must really know," he snarled slightly glaring from the corner of his eye. "destroying what could become a hope of resistance before the people have the time to truly do such might just prevent a true revolution. You might say I am saving more lives then I am taking." By the time he had finished speaking Raven's voice had reverted back to it's normal tone.

Sick. Anger. Resentment. All of the above was what the man known as Spence was feeling at the so called protection of life his brother proposed. In fact if anything the exact opposite was going to transpire. "Sometimes, losing what people consider to be their hope is what it takes for them to become even more likely to strike. If you back a tiger into a corner, there is only two options for the tiger. Kill or be killed. We humans are no different."

Chuckling echoed through the silent chamber, "Why do you think your excuse for proverbs can change the mind of every one. A real hunter would kill first. Another simple shoulder shrug was again the only response Raven received from the graying ex-admiral. Always willing to talk when it suited him; yet never spoke or answered when asked a question. Speak only when you have something meaningful to say. The voice of their father rang throughout his thoughts as it was what he considered he personal catchphrase.

"Sir-"

"What is it!" Raven snapped.

"It appears that the Yorlon Core has downed another suit..." the soldiers words fell lower in volume the entire time he spoke. Bad reports were never tolerated when the Air-Commander was in a good mood, only those that out ranked him went unharmed at the sounds of a bad report when he was in his current state. For the moment it seemed that his own well being was safe for the moment. "Ten suits total Air-Commander."

Raven stood still with his eyes unmoving from the remaining camera feeds. Another belonging to a core showed only static. He was not sure of what, but running his mind over the briefing nothing stood out. No where had it been mentioned that Yorlon had access to a trained pilot. Grant it they were massed produced Cores; an untrained pilot would have had difficulty taking out two or three of the ground based units. Even so, this only reinforced his own resolve. With the numbers he possessed it mattered not how trained or untrained the pilot was. Now it was only a matter of time.

"ZC-12:Hyperion entering battlefield."

The mention of the Armored Core piloted by his least favorite tag along did little to ease Raven's anger. Even with the precautions he'd taken to prevent Serge's participation in the battle. He was aware that the Corporation considered the teenager a prodigy of sorts, and even they had their concerns in allowing the boy to partake in full on missions. Still, he had been given 'special' permission.

With a low growl having escaped from his lips Raven's fist slammed down on the transmitter button, "Destroy that core, and I might just forget about your insubordinate actions!" His words echoed throughout the bridge sending chills up the spines of those that had not already felt the air around them grow colder in each passing moment. The sound of static crackled within the speakers of the communication station. Almost as if it had been speaking back to the Air-Commander itself.

"I'm surprised," the voice of the young man Serge registered loud enough for the ranked officer to hear crystal clear, "for someone so high and mighty you sure sound desperate. Hell, you'd have to be if your asking for my help after what you did to my suit."

For once Serge was speaking the truth even if it were only in the slightest way. With the sheer numbers he commanded Raven was under no doubt that his victory would be soon at hand. He had to admit that whom ever was piloting the core on the surface was presenting a set back. Yorlon was small in comparison to other territories and if news that a small zone like itself had required so many troops to seize; his goal at preventing world war would would be nothing shy of failure. Delicacy was not an option in his play book, this time was proof to that.

"Look you shithead-" Raven was speechless. He should of expected no less from the teenage delinquent, but even so no one had ever just turned their radio off to ignore him. The thought of the young man smiling at the fact he had angered the man more than anyone ever had before only made things worse. "See to it that he faces every charge possible for court marshal."

* * *

Serge grunted doing everything with in his power to keep his core in full movement, thankfully silence filled his cockpit. "I swear that prick talks just to hear his own voice." A smiled formed on his face as the Yorlon Core came into view. "Let's see just how much trouble I can get into." Crossing the core's left hand over his chest red sparks light up the back side of the cores hand when a small door slid open ejecting what appeared to be a red laser that soon erupted extending its width forming a laser blade reaching in length to be taller than what Hyperion stood. "Alright Hyperion, lets show these sorry excuses for cores what we can do."

His words as if they brought life into the machine the speed of the suit had already began increasing. With every swing of his laser blade the pilot in the opposing suit came to know what it felt like to exist in the plane of oblivion. Knowing that with his boosters offline due to his earlier stunt for every swing he took a brief moment of vulnerability was open, a weakness he compensated for with a shot from the rifle equipped to his right arm. The so called mass-produced suits rated less than skillful enough to contend with some one with the training he had endured.

Laser rifle or not each shot with enough charge possessed enough raw power to penetrate the outer shell of many of the less armored cores. Were as the more heavily armored units felt less damage physically, even if each shot was enough to blind their sensors. In this particular case, Serge gladly accepted anything he could get. Trained or not, to take on an army alone was not a scenario he was likely to come out of, alive anyways.

Silently cursing to himself Serge could feel a small amount of ignorance wash over him. From his carrier-copter the forces had looked a little more spread out, but now that he was on the ground it was pretty much a cluster- "Missed one." The most welcoming voice of his best friend cheerfully brought him from his unfinished thought. Apparently she had figured he was going to need a guardian angel if he was to complete his foolish mission.

"What ever happened to keeping up appearances?"

Serena released another bullet from the chamber of her sniper rifle, "I pretty much just said screw it. It's pretty obvious that Raven would just point the blame at the both of us. It's not like he wanted us to come any ways." Even though the communication feed was radio only Serge knew Serena well enough to know she had a cocky smirk branded across her face.

"In other words, you wanted in on the fun too?"

"What if I did?," Serena spoke, "Area's clear, get your ass moving." Little reminder was needed to get Serge moving Hyperion.

* * *

Ten suits down, Ian counted taking a moment to catch his breath. Twenty minutes. That's how long he'd been in the cockpit of the Armored Core Forever. Ever minute was even more painful than the last. He'd already taken the life of ten people, whether they were guilty of only following orders or as evil as the man that had given the order mattered little to him. Each one was doing enough to weigh down his thoughts.

In the beginning moments of the battle rage had filled his thoughts boasting a considerable amount of confidence that he could pilot the suit his parents claimed to have built for him. Now he stood on the edge of a battlefield with no ammo in his only ranged weapon. Upon firing the last bullet it had become obvious that with today being the suits test run the use of full powered ammunition had likely not been a priority. As such it had taken more bullets per each of his targets to cause considerable enough damage to decommission even the lightly armored forces.

His hands tightly gripped around the controls of his Core the pain he was feeling was excruciating. Regardless of if the suit had been for him his arms had started feeling heavy during the first few minutes. Now the thought of even moving them caused him to wince in pain. Needless to say, the abundance of confidence he had displayed by taunting the army had definitely not been his best idea. "Well...this sucks." Ian spoke still gasping for breath when his radar pinged alerting him to five new arrivals.

With only the prototype version of the Moonlight laser blade remaining as his weapon maneuvering the Core to help re-balance himself after each attack was going to be not only hard, but dangerous. Things had been easy up until now. Each fight had been one on one usually with the next enemy only a few minutes behind the most recent. Managing a surprise attack would grant him only enough time after the initial strike for maybe a second attack, but that was if the sword like weapon was packing enough strength to damage an opposing suit. If his discarded rifle was loaded only with practice rounds it was a safe bet that the blade was more a less better as a blunt weapon.

Now within view of the approaching suits Ian could only imagine what the pilots were thinking. The only thought he was hoping had not crossed their minds was if he was at his limit. Of course with their slow rate of advancement Ian could only assume that they had figured him out.

Looking to the video feed of his back camera Ian bowed his head at the thought of having left Christa, and even the others alone. He had rushed out when the original pilot had abandoned Forever's cockpit to prevent the idiot leader of the group from getting hurt. Now all he had done was cause more bad than good for his home. Had he just given up the Core, his parents might of still been alive. Christa and the others wouldn't be in danger of being killed. With his actions he had done everything to ensure the destruction or it's occupation by the Corporation.

Those two thoughts were enough to cause despair in anyone regardless of where they came from. To lose a place you called home for any reason was even more of a reason to fight to keep it safe. For him there was more than protecting his home he had his 'friends'; using the term as loosely as possible; that needed him. Re-positioning his stance to one that would allow for a more damaging blow, Armored Core: Forever stood with it's side facing the newcomers holding the hilt with both hands. "One way or the other someone's going down."

In the few seconds it took the five suits to move a few steps closer towards Ian everything had come to an end. A small series of explosions covered the scene before him in a blinding flash.

"You look ridiculous."

**To Be Continued**


End file.
